Short Summary

THOUSAND OF CHEERING PEOPLE LINED SAIGON WATERFRONT TO GIVE ROUSING WELCOME ON NOVEMBER 7 TO 33 POLITICAL PRISONERS OF THE OUSTED NGO DINH DIEM REGIME AFTER BEING RELEASE FROM THE DREADED ISLAND PRISON OF POULO CANDORE.

Description

THOUSAND OF CHEERING PEOPLE LINED SAIGON WATERFRONT TO GIVE ROUSING WELCOME ON NOVEMBER 7 TO 33 POLITICAL PRISONERS OF THE OUSTED NGO DINH DIEM REGIME AFTER BEING RELEASE FROM THE DREADED ISLAND PRISON OF POULO CANDORE.

THEY HAD BEEN ARRESTED FOR THEIR PART IN THE ATTEMPTED COUP D'ETAT BY PARACHUTISTS IN NOVEMBER 1960 AND WERE RELEASED FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL GENERAL'S COUP LAST FRIDAY -- THREE YEARS LATER.

AMONG OTHER PRISONERS ABOARD THE TANK LANDING CRAFT WERE A PARA-TROOP MAJOR AND OTHER SOLDIERS WHO TOOK PART IN THE 1960 COUP WHICH FAILED.

STUDENTS CARRIED BANNERS AND STORMED GATES LEADING TO THE QUAY SEVERAL TIMES SO THAT HUNDREDS OF THEM WERE ON THE QUAYSIDE AND SHOOK HANDS WITH THE PRISONERS AS THEY DISEMBARKED.

AFTER THE PRISONERS LEFT THE SHIP THERE WERE WILD SCENES OF REJOICING AND CHEERING ON THE QUAYSIDE AND ON THE ROAD LEADING TO THE CITY .

THERE WERE ABOUT 4,000 PRISONERS ON POULO CANDORE ABOUT 50 MILES OFF THE VIETNAMESE COAST. ONE OF THE MEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPRISONMENT OF MANY OF THE ISLAND'S INMATES HAS BEEN ARRESTED.